12-18-2014, 12:00 AM
Just an update on my brief time (so far) testing lubuntu-software-manager. Will continue to test for a few weeks to see if any update problems crop up, but so far I have mixed feelings about it.
Added software manager to old desktop system running LL 2.2 and installed a few packages from it without a hitch. Did a fresh LL 2.2 install to test laptop machine yesterday, ran initial updates, then installed lubuntu-software-manager. It only added two extra programs:
app-install-data -- Description-en: Ubuntu applications (data files). This package contains the Ubuntu specific application data and icons for software-center (and similar tools).
python-pysqlite2 -- Description-en: Python interface to SQLite 3. pysqlite is a DB-API 2.0-compliant database interface for SQLite.
On laptop test machine, used the software manager to try installing the list of software below. I added all of them (excluding exceptions noted in next paragraph) to the installer's "Apps Basket" for installation at the same time.
anki
audacious
bluefish
calibre
cherrytree
clementine
convertall
dillo
eog
emacs
gourmet
links
meld
midori
pokerth
radiotray
vokoscreen
xfce4-terminal
xfce4-places-plugin
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin
The following packages were not found in the software manager, so installed them in a terminal instead:
eog
links
radiotray
xfce4-terminal
xfce4-places-plugin
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin
Don't know why those apps didn't show up in software manager, but maybe it is set to only look to some list of software limited to Lubuntu and those are not on that list. (Just guessing on this -- I don't really know.) Therefore, I'd say it probably shows most of the packages that people might want, but not necessarily all of them.
I did run into what may have been a serious glitch when I ran the installation of all those programs in the manager. When I hit the button to carry out installation, it popped-up a box for entering password (as expected). I typed my password and hit enter. Then it popped box back up saying something like either wrong password or I'm not authorized to conduct the operation and to enter password again. I did (paying closer attention to make sure entered correctly) and it repeated same thing. Tried closing out the pop-up box and the program, but pop-up kept coming back several times -- until finally the program closed (after approx. 30 seconds).
However, after it closed out I noticed my router lights showing that there was much activity going on -- so I watched and waited until the connection lights stopped, which took a few minutes. After network activity stopped, I could see blinking light showing hard drive activity on the laptop -- so I waited until that stopped. I suspected that it was actually carrying out the install and sure enough that's what it was doing. After all activity seemed to stop, I looked in the main menu and the programs had indeed installed. I tested a bunch of them and they all work fine.
Later, I tested the software center again by adding three more packages for installation. That time it worked normally -- asking for and properly accepting my password, then continuing with the install. So, I don't know why it did what it did on first install attempt. Maybe it doesn't like handling so many packages at once?
Verdict so far:
-- Nice listing of packages organized by category for people who are new to Linux.
-- Listings have program icons and brief descriptions on general listings pages. From there, people can select ones of possible interest and get further descriptive information (some with screenshots).
-- Possibly glitchy performance when attempting to install a number of packages at once, which could cause (at minimum) confusion and/or possibly cause errors or problems for packaging system that would require resolving before being able to conduct system updates or other software installations.
-- I don't know yet if regular LL system updates will be affected at all by the presence of the software manager. (Systems it's installed to were fully updated before adding software manager to it.) I doubt it, but will have to watch and wait over next few weeks/months to be sure.
Added software manager to old desktop system running LL 2.2 and installed a few packages from it without a hitch. Did a fresh LL 2.2 install to test laptop machine yesterday, ran initial updates, then installed lubuntu-software-manager. It only added two extra programs:
app-install-data -- Description-en: Ubuntu applications (data files). This package contains the Ubuntu specific application data and icons for software-center (and similar tools).
python-pysqlite2 -- Description-en: Python interface to SQLite 3. pysqlite is a DB-API 2.0-compliant database interface for SQLite.
On laptop test machine, used the software manager to try installing the list of software below. I added all of them (excluding exceptions noted in next paragraph) to the installer's "Apps Basket" for installation at the same time.
anki
audacious
bluefish
calibre
cherrytree
clementine
convertall
dillo
eog
emacs
gourmet
links
meld
midori
pokerth
radiotray
vokoscreen
xfce4-terminal
xfce4-places-plugin
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin
The following packages were not found in the software manager, so installed them in a terminal instead:
eog
links
radiotray
xfce4-terminal
xfce4-places-plugin
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin
Don't know why those apps didn't show up in software manager, but maybe it is set to only look to some list of software limited to Lubuntu and those are not on that list. (Just guessing on this -- I don't really know.) Therefore, I'd say it probably shows most of the packages that people might want, but not necessarily all of them.
I did run into what may have been a serious glitch when I ran the installation of all those programs in the manager. When I hit the button to carry out installation, it popped-up a box for entering password (as expected). I typed my password and hit enter. Then it popped box back up saying something like either wrong password or I'm not authorized to conduct the operation and to enter password again. I did (paying closer attention to make sure entered correctly) and it repeated same thing. Tried closing out the pop-up box and the program, but pop-up kept coming back several times -- until finally the program closed (after approx. 30 seconds).
However, after it closed out I noticed my router lights showing that there was much activity going on -- so I watched and waited until the connection lights stopped, which took a few minutes. After network activity stopped, I could see blinking light showing hard drive activity on the laptop -- so I waited until that stopped. I suspected that it was actually carrying out the install and sure enough that's what it was doing. After all activity seemed to stop, I looked in the main menu and the programs had indeed installed. I tested a bunch of them and they all work fine.
Later, I tested the software center again by adding three more packages for installation. That time it worked normally -- asking for and properly accepting my password, then continuing with the install. So, I don't know why it did what it did on first install attempt. Maybe it doesn't like handling so many packages at once?
Verdict so far:
-- Nice listing of packages organized by category for people who are new to Linux.
-- Listings have program icons and brief descriptions on general listings pages. From there, people can select ones of possible interest and get further descriptive information (some with screenshots).
-- Possibly glitchy performance when attempting to install a number of packages at once, which could cause (at minimum) confusion and/or possibly cause errors or problems for packaging system that would require resolving before being able to conduct system updates or other software installations.
-- I don't know yet if regular LL system updates will be affected at all by the presence of the software manager. (Systems it's installed to were fully updated before adding software manager to it.) I doubt it, but will have to watch and wait over next few weeks/months to be sure.
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